


Bad Day

by chasethewind



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Red Dress, Romantic Friendship, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-25
Updated: 2013-08-25
Packaged: 2017-12-24 14:06:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/940868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasethewind/pseuds/chasethewind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nothing says "bad day" quite like running mascara, a ruined red silk dress, and an IT girl in need of someone who will just listen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bad Day

**Author's Note:**

> Song: "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter
> 
> Disclaimer: My original idea, but I don't own the characters, the show or the song. Just trying to be creative.

_Where is the moment we needed the most_  
 _You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost_  
 _They tell me your blue skies fade to grey_  
 _They tell me your passion's gone away_  
 _And I don't need no carryin' on_ __  


"Felicity, what are you doing here? It's past midnight. And why are you soaking wet?"

Felicity Smoak jumped at the soft voice coming from her left. She tried to wipe the trails of mascara off her face but to no avail. They ran down her cheeks like black rivers of ink. Time had gotten away from her. After all she had been through today; one more kink in the chain wasn't a surprise.

"Oliver! Sorry, I didn't know it was that late..."

Her voice trailed off when she glanced in his direction. He was in his hood, returning from his latest mission. Oliver Queen, her boss in more ways than one, caught her looking and fixed her with his keen gaze.

He could tell something had happened in his absence. The smeared makeup on her face said it all. Felicity had been scarce that day; she'd told him a crisis at work meant she was unable to help him that night. But why, then, was his IT girl sporting a tear-stained face?

"Are you alright? Have you been crying?" Oliver dropped his bow and quiver on the work table before making his way to where she sat at her desk. She was a wet mess of ruined red silk and her disheveled blonde hair lay limply over her bare shoulders. She looked like she needed a hug.

The dress was a strapless number she'd bought specifically for a special night out, but after all that had happened she wanted nothing more than to take it off and throw it in the trash.

"I'm fine." Her two-word answer alarmed Oliver. Where was the girl who constantly went off on tangents whenever she talked?

"Remember when I told you if you ever needed anyone to talk to, you could talk to me?" She nodded. "Well, start talking. I've got all night." Oliver perched himself on the edge of her desk, arms crossed, waiting for her to speak.

Felicity's fingers toyed with the strap of her wet red leather purse as she gathered her thoughts. "Where do I even start?" she asked, mostly to herself.

"How about this morning?" Oliver suggested. She gazed up at him, her blue eyes red-rimmed and shining with a fresh sheen of tears, then nodded and began her story.

_You stand in the line just to hit a new low_  
 _You're faking a smile with the coffee to go_  
 _You tell me your life's been way off line_  
 _You're falling to pieces every time_  
 _And I don't need no carryin' on_ __  


**9:45AM**

The phone on her desk rang, knocking Felicity out of the zone she was in networking a new bank of servers. Before she could even say hello, the gruff voice on the other end barked, "Ms. Smoak, I need you in my office, immediately!" She jumped when the line went dead and high tailed it to her supervisor's office.

The closer she got, the harder her heart began to pound. What if he had finally noticed the inordinate amount of time she spent on Oliver's "projects" instead of getting her work done? How was she going to explain that? She sucked at lying.

"Yes, Mr. Bradford. You wanted to see me sir?" Felicity could already feel the heat spread over her cheeks as beads of sweat dotted her forehead. "Of course you did otherwise you wouldn't have called me over here," she nervously continued, fidgeting with one of the charms on her bracelet.

Owen Bradford was a short, pudgy man in his late 40's with a beer belly and slicked back greasy black hair that made it obvious he wanted to hide the growing bald spot on the top of his head. He was never in the mood to make small talk and always got to the point of a conversation within the first sentence. Felicity, and nearly everyone else in her office, found him intimidating. He had a way of cutting people down that was legendary.

"Ms. Smoak," he began, his cold brown eyes fixed on her as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other in her cream pumps. The scowl on his face wasn't putting her at ease much. Her heart raced as the pause continued. Finally Bradford glanced down at some paperwork on his desk before returning his gaze to her. "What was the nature of your visit to the chemistry department last month?"

'Shit!' her mind screamed. Taking a deep breath in order to gather her thoughts, Felicity replied, "I was working on a project for Mr. Queen."

"You seem to be doing a lot of that lately." Bradford said in a snide tone. He glanced down at his sheet again and rattled off several other instances where Oliver had dropped by her office for help and she'd gladly done the work required. Felicity recognized each one, and wasn't happy that it had affected her work as much as her supervisor implied.

"You've been slacking on all your current projects. Those servers should have been online a week ago! It's contributing to the backlog of data that still needs to be organized and slowing down the network."

Felicity's fighting spirit kicked in. "If you'd wanted me to finish all my work on time, then why did you keep sending the execs to me for tech support?" she shot back. It was the truth. She'd probably met with well over ten of the company's higher ups in the last month whining about their computers being too slow.

"Because it is your job. Keep the servers running flawlessly, and keep the executives happy so you have a job to come back to," Bradford angrily answered. "Let this be a reminder, Ms. Smoak. If your work continues to decline, I will have no choice but to replace you. You are dismissed." And just like that, the conversation was over.

Turning on her heels, Felicity slowly walked back to her desk, her mind racing. Today was going to be a long day if she wanted to keep her job.

_Cause you had a bad day_  
 _You're taking one down_ __  
_You sing a sad song just to turn it around_  
 _You say you don't know_ __  
_You tell me don't lie_  
 _You work at a smile and you go for a ride_ __  
_You had a bad day_  
 _The camera don't lie_ __  
_You're coming back down and you really don't mind_  
 _You had a bad day_ _  
__You had a bad day_

"So that's when you called to tell me you were going to be stuck at work," Oliver said, understanding. "If you had just told me Bradford was giving you flack for working with me, I would have corrected the problem immediately."

"Bradford's always been like that. I can handle him. Besides, he knows I'm an asset to the IT department, so I doubt he'd fire me unless I really screwed something up. Just because I'm a little late on projects doesn't mean anything. It's not hard to catch up, I mean, it will take a few late nights, but I can do it," Felicity replied, still finding it difficult to focus when there were so many other things on her mind.

Oliver could see that the look in her eyes was still far away. "That's not the only thing that happened today, is it?" he asked.

Felicity only hesitated for a moment. "Well, it got worse during lunch…"

_Well you need a blue sky holiday_  
 _The point is they laugh at what you say_ __  
_And I don't need no carryin' on_ __  


**12:30PM**

'Starbucks, you are a godsend on days like today,' Felicity thought to herself as she headed back to the office from her shortened lunch break. The caramel macchiato she sipped from her cup made her morning troubles fade to the back of her mind. In her other hand was the small Caesar salad she picked up from the deli in the lobby. She had decided to eat and work at her desk today, figuring it would show her boss she was taking his critique seriously.

As she walked back into the building, Felicity's cell phone pinged with a text message. Balancing her coffee and salad in one hand, she fished it out of her purse. It was her mother asking her to call her when she got the chance. A smile lit up her face. Felicity hadn't talked to her mother in quite some time. Their random chats about anything and everything were few and far between the more her work got in the way, and she missed them.

Preoccupied with her reply, Felicity neglected to notice her surroundings. As she strode through the lobby, most people avoided her, but not one. He, too, was staring at his cell phone until they collided.

Her coffee spilled all over the front of her white blouse as her salad fell to the floor. The shriek that escaped her lips echoed off the marble walls. After a frantic moment, she looked up and realized who she'd run into.

Preston Hunter, her male counterpart in the IT department, stood wide-eyed looking at the mess he'd made. "Oh, my god, Felicity, I'm so sorry!" he said as he kneeled down to pick up the spilled contents of her lunch.

He was no Oliver Queen in the looks department, but he was still easy on the eyes. Built tall and lanky, Preston looked more like a hipster than anything else, wearing tight black pants, a mustard yellow cardigan with a black jacket and matching scarf. His sunglasses were perched on top of his head indicating he was headed out to his lunch.

"Shit," Felicity muttered under her breath, looking back at the destruction wrought on her outfit. She had an extra shirt, along with several other outfits, in her car, but there was no time to get it now. The tattered grey hoodie she kept in her office was completely unprofessional, but it would suffice and cover up the stain.

"Were you just coming back from lunch?" Preston asked. The office code of conduct forbade fraternizing among employees. If it hadn't been for that stupid rule, she would have asked him out already.

"Yeah, well, not exactly. I was going to eat lunch in my office as I got the servers online, but I guess that's not happening today."

"Would you like me to get you something?" His large hazel eyes looked awfully sincere and apologetic. They made her melt, a bit like Oliver's eyes did. Wait, what? Immediately pushing the thought of her boss out of her mind, Felicity tried to focus on the conversation at hand.

"No, I'll be fine. I think if I don't eat, I'll probably get things done faster." She was about ready to scurry up to her office when he grabbed her wrist.

"At least let me make it up to you with dinner." Felicity had to do a double take. Was Preston Hunter actually asking her out, on a date?

"Dinner?" she squeaked.

"Yes, as in a meal shared between two people at the end of the day. How does eight sound?"

Well, if he was willing to push the limits a bit, she was game. A smile cracked on her bright pink lips. "It sounds great," Felicity replied.

"Alright, I'll see you then," Preston said as he returned her smile. They parted ways and she headed back to her office with a spring in her step and a new goal of finishing the bulk of her work by 7:30.

_You had a bad day_  
 _You're taking one down_ __  
_You sing a sad song just to turn it around_  
 _You say you don't know_ __  
_You tell me don't lie_  
 _You work at a smile and you go for a ride_ __  
_You had a bad day_  
 _The camera don't lie_ __  
_You're coming back down and you really don't mind_  
 _You had a bad day_ __  


"Ooh, Felicity got a date!" Oliver teased.

She shot him the dirtiest look he'd ever seen and he quickly sat up straight wiping the grin off his face. It was pretty obvious where this was going after seeing her tense up the way she did. Something had happened at dinner that seemed to make her bad day snowball into the realm of awful.

"Sorry," he muttered, waiting for her to continue.

Felicity sniffled. A cold chill ran down her spine and she rubbed her hands over her arms to warm up. She had used her jacket as a barrier between her wet dress and the desk chair cushion. Without saying a word, Oliver stood up and walked out of sight. She didn't bother to watch him go.

It wasn't until Felicity felt a blanket wrap around her shoulders that she realized what he'd done. Glancing up at him, their eyes met. She gave him a soft smile.

"Thank you. I didn't realize how cold it could get down here sitting in a wet dress that's only getting thrown away when I get home. No use in trying to salvage this thing. Even though it was my favorite," she sighed. Felicity stood up to give him a full view.

Although it was completely soaked through, Oliver could imagine what the dress had looked like before. It fell just above her knees and had a cinched waist that accented her curves in all the right places. His eyes wandered lower to find she was wearing a pair of matching red leather stilettos.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he replied, tearing his eyes away from her curves. Dear god, she was gorgeous. But that was not what she wanted to hear right now. She was upset, and looking to him as a friend. Pushing the thought out of his mind, he added, "Dare I ask how dinner went?"

Sitting back down and snuggling into the blanket, Felicity gave him a wry smile. "If you hadn't already guessed, it didn't go so well…"

_Sometimes the system goes on the blink_  
 _And the whole thing turns out wrong_ __  
_You might not make it back and you know_  
 _That you could be well oh that strong_ _  
__And I'm not wrong_

**7:30PM**

"Who's the baddest IT girl in town? This girl!" Felicity exclaimed as she logged off her computer. She couldn't believe she'd finished the majority of her work for the day. Pushing away from her desk, she snatched her keys from her purse and headed to the parking lot to grab a change of clothes. She tore through her gym bag until she found what she was looking for: her favorite strapless red silk dress and matching stilettos. Yes, this would be perfect for tonight. Off to the ladies room she ran, dress and shoes in hand.

She ditched the stained blouse and skirt from that day and zipped up the dress with a satisfied smile. She walked out of the bathroom stall to make sure everything looked right. The rubber band that held her ponytail in place was quickly taken out letting her long blonde hair fall over her shoulders. Felicity wished she'd had a curling iron to put a little bounce in it, but this would do. After all, it was now 7:55. Preston would be waiting for her downstairs in the lobby. The last thing she did was trade her glasses for a pair of rarely worn contacts. It was the final touch on the perfect outfit, she thought with a grin.

Felicity threw her clothes under her desk before checking once more to make sure she looked good. Satisfied by the final result, she grabbed her purse and headed downstairs. The lobby was empty, save for the security guard on duty. He was an older gentleman, probably in his late 50's, with graying hair and a gentle smile on his face. He greeted her with a nod before going back to his duties at the security desk.

Five minutes passed, then ten, then twenty. Felicity was getting antsy. She had taken a seat on one of the benches and was playing Angry Birds on her phone when a text came in.

_**Preston Hunter** _ _: Sorry I'm running a little late. Would you mind grabbing a table at that Italian place near the Glades?_

_**Felicity Smoak** _ _: Yeah, sure. Do you know how long you'll be?_

_**Preston Hunter** _ _: Maybe another twenty minutes. Just taking care of a few last minute things._

_**Felicity Smoak** _ _: Okay, I'll see you there._

Letting out a sigh, Felicity stood up and headed to her car. She had hoped driving wouldn't be necessary tonight, but at least now she wouldn't have to come back after hours to pick it up. If Preston had been any other guy, she probably would have just called it a night, but she had a thing for him and wanted to see where this could possibly go.

She parked her car two streets over, since parking in this part of town was hard to find, and made sure to pay the meter before walking to the restaurant. The place was practically empty with only a few customers left. Felicity was seated at a small booth towards the back. A short, stocky waiter came to take her drink order, and she asked for a glass of water for now. The wine could wait until Preston arrived.

The minutes ticked by, but there was no sign of him. She continued to wait, sipping her water as the waiter stopped by several more times to refill it. Glancing at the time on her phone, she saw it was already nearly 10 pm and Preston was nowhere to be found. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she pulled up his last text and sent a reply.

_**Felicity Smoak** _ _: Where are you? I've been waiting nearly an hour._

Several minutes passed. She continuously glanced at the screen waiting with bated breath for his answer, but it didn't come. Her fingers hammered against the white linen tablecloth until finally the silent device vibrated a response.

_**Preston Hunter** _ _: Sorry, Felicity, I don't think I'll actually be able to make it tonight. Bradford has me doing more stuff than anticipated. He's giving me your overflow._

Felicity read and reread the message several times before it finally sank in. "Of course this is how my day ends!" she laughed a little too loudly, attracting the attention of the last few patrons of the restaurant. She left a five on the table for the waiter as a thank you for the water and exited the restaurant.

As she headed to her car, a flash of lightning and the sudden explosion of thunder startled her. One glance up at the sky told her it was about to rain, and hard. Felicity broke out into a full sprint as she tried to make it to her car before the deluge hit, but it just wasn't in the cards. After a day like today, how could it be?

The rain started to pour down just as she reached the street her car was parked on. Within a matter of seconds, Felicity was soaked through. As she fumbled in her purse for her keys, she noticed something on the windshield. "Seriously?!" she shouted as she looked at the parking ticket. Glancing at the meter, she found it to be on empty. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

By now, she'd completely forgotten it was raining. Felicity stood there taking deep breaths trying to calm down. This day couldn't get any worse. After a few more moments of sulking, she finally reached into her bag, this time finding her keys in seconds. Slipping into the driver's seat, she started the engine and turned the heat on full blast. 'Why does it always have to get cold when it rains?' she contemplated before answering herself. 'Stupid evaporative cooling…'

Felicity let her head drop to the steering wheel as the tears began. An overwhelming sense of vulnerability washed over her for the first time that day. She was lonely, overworked, tired, wet and cold. All she really wanted was a drink and someone who would listen to her vent. Considering how close she was to the Glades, Felicity made a split second decision and went to the one place she knew she could have both.

_So where is the passion when you need it the most_  
 _Oh you and I_ _  
__You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost_

"So that's how I ended up here," Felicity said as she sat back in the chair and looked up at Oliver. He had a thoughtful expression on his face as he gazed at her with those soft blue eyes. She couldn't help but wonder what life would have been like had he never stepped into her office that fateful day. 'Probably not as hectic or crazy,' she thought. 'I'd definitely be caught up on work. And not comparing Preston's eyes to his. Wait a minute… Oliver… He set all this into motion! He's the reason why all this happened!'

"This is all your fault!" Felicity squeaked, startling her boss out of whatever he was thinking. "Oh, my god… Of course! It makes perfect sense!"

"My fault?" Oliver scoffed. How had everything changed so quickly from her needing to vent into him being the root of her problems? "How is it my fault?"

"Because you came down to my office and I had to drop everything. If I didn't help you I'd get fired! You're the one who kept charming me into continuing to do your dirty work all the while lying to me about what was really going on! If it wasn't for you, I never would have gotten into trouble with Bradford, Preston wouldn't have had to take over my job and left me hanging at dinner, and my dress, my  _favorite_  dress, would never have been ruined!" She stood up to emphasize her point.

"If you didn't want to stick around, you could have just left! Why didn't you?" Oliver shouted. She was getting on his nerves. Felicity didn't answer immediately. She fidgeted with the charms on her bracelet, her eyes falling to her hands. That pushed him over the edge. "You can't give me an answer!"

"I can give you an answer!" she shouted back, fed up with the way he was treating her. "I just don't want to because I know you won't like it."

"I won't know unless you actually tell me, so come clean, Felicity. Why did you stick around?" He was in her face now, demanding an answer. They stood facing each other, eyes narrowed. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.

"Because I thought if I left you'd ship me off to somewhere else and I wouldn't be able to come back! I wouldn't be able to see my family; I wouldn't be able to see the few friends I still have. I would be all alone in some god forsaken place all because I knew too much about you!" Felicity finally admitted. Her anger had boiled over and now she was shaking as her eyes stared up at him with a fire he'd never seen before.

Oliver was left speechless. He should have expected the answer, but it didn't mean it hurt any less when she actually said it. His face softened as he moved back from Felicity. Of course she was worried about leaving; he hadn't exactly been gentle in his warnings about staying quiet. But did she really think that, at this point, he would do something so selfish to her?

"I need to know, Oliver, would you have sent me away if I left?" Felicity's voice shook with her words as she waited for an answer. Although she could see he was relenting, it didn't dawn on her just how deeply the words affected him. All she could think about was how much her life had changed ever since they met.

Gazing at her with thoughtful eyes, he said, "No. Never. I trusted you, Felicity. And I still do." After a moment he broke eye contact and moved a few steps away. "I'm glad you're being honest with me about how you really feel."

Although it wasn't meant to cut her down, she still felt as if a knife sliced through her heart. The guarded pain in Oliver's voice made her wish she could take back everything she had just said. "Oliver, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," Felicity replied, her demeanor softening.

"You didn't. I… I need to know what you think of me."

It broke her heart seeing him drop his gaze and turn away. Felicity grabbed his wrist and he turned back around to face her. "Please don't leave," she begged. "I'm so sorry. I never should have told you that."

"Don't ever apologize for the way you feel. You had every right to tell me how you felt, and I respect you for being so honest with me."

Again, Oliver turned to go, but she tightened her hold forcing him to stay where he was. Felicity's eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she stared up at him. "But I hurt you," she said. Her voice cracked as a pair of tears slid down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her hand leaving more long streaks of mascara across her face.

A slight smile crossed Oliver's lips as he reached out and gently brushed a few more errant tears away with his thumb. He didn't like hurting Felicity either.

The touch startled her. She stood there, a multitude of emotions crossing her face. Oliver Queen was wiping away her tears. Felicity's heart began to race. He'd only ever touched her hand or her shoulder before. This was uncharted territory.

She wanted to pull away, but his eye locked her in place. God, those eyes… They were such a beautiful shade of blue. She could forever get lost in those eyes just as she was getting lost in them now.

It took Felicity a moment to realize she'd been leaning into his touch. She didn't stop, though. Neither did his thumb. It traced down her cheek, along her jaw, and stopped at her chin.

They stood there, staring into each other's eyes, afraid to make the next move. The intensity of the moment was not lost on her. She could feel Oliver's breath against her lips, wanting, waiting to see if she would give him permission to move closer.

"Oh, screw it," Felicity said before closing the gap. Her lips crashed into his as her arms came around his neck. She could feel his fingers sink into her tangled hair, cradling her head as he kissed back with the same intensity. A contented moan escaped her lips as they curled into a smile. Damn, he was a good kisser.

Then it clicked: she was kissing Oliver Queen, her boss, the billionaire vigilante. If this didn't turn awkward, it would be a miracle.

Reluctantly prying herself away from his lips, Felicity stepped back in order to put some much needed distance between them as she gasped for breath.

"Oh, my god," she whispered, gazing up at him in shock.

Oliver was staring at her as well, also at a loss for words. "Felicity, I'm sorry. That was…"

"Uncalled for, on my part, not yours," she quickly finished for him, hoping he understood that she was the one who initiated the kiss. "I really should go." She shrugged the blanket off her shoulders and grabbed her purse and coat from where she left them before turning on her heels and heading towards the door.

"Felicity, wait!" Oliver called out to her before he gave chase. Her hand was on the doorknob when he reached her. "I'm so sorry for making you uncomfortable. I…"

She turned around and replied, "Oliver, this was not your fault. I kissed you. Stop apologizing." It was weird, telling him to stop apologizing for once. Talk about a Twilight Zone moment.

"Will you let me finish?" Now he sounded on edge. Felicity eyed him and crossed her arms, waiting. "I was going to say, I don't want this to be awkward between us."

She sighed and dropped her impassive stance. "It doesn't have to be," Felicity conceded. She was just going to make this up as she went along. After all, she didn't want things to become awkward either. "You looked like you needed comfort so I kissed you. It wasn't a good idea. Now I apologize and you accept my apology, we hug and I go home. That's it."

"Oh… Okay…?" Oliver was a bit confused, but accepted her terms. He didn't dare voice his opinion of the kiss.

Telling her he enjoyed it and wanted nothing more than to kiss her again would probably put their fragile friendship in jeopardy. Just like everything that had happened on the island, he'd lock away his feelings for her no matter how much it hurt. Keeping her as an ally was far more important than making her a lover. Maybe someday they could revisit this kiss, but for now, it was better forgotten.

"Friends?" Felicity extended her hand.

"Friends." Oliver shook on their agreement before pulling her into a short hug.

They stood there for several moments in awkward silence wondering what the next move was until she spoke. "Goodnight, Oliver." Felicity dropped her gaze and reached for the door handle. With that, she headed outside to her car.

"Goodnight, Felicity." She could barely make out his voice as the rain continued to beat down against the ground.

If only he knew what was going on inside her head, the whole conversation would have been completely different, Felicity thought as she walked to her car and got inside. God, Oliver was an amazing kisser. She wanted nothing more than to run back into his arms and kiss him again, but that would put their entire relationship in jeopardy.

Right now, everything was going so well. They were getting their groove down and rocking it. The last thing they needed was to introduce the element of romance, no matter how badly she wanted it. Oliver was good to her. She didn't want to screw things up if it got messy between them.

So, she decided, these feelings needed to be locked up and forgotten. It hurt, but at least she could go back to helping him tomorrow without feeling awkward.

'Fat chance,' Felicity's subconscious replied. She pushed it to the fringes of her mind before heading home. It had been a long day. Fighting with her inner self was out of the question. All Felicity wanted was to go to bed. Tomorrow would be another long day of playing catch up.

_Cause you had a bad day_  
 _You're taking one down_ __  
_You sing a sad song just to turn it around_  
 _You say you don't know_ __  
_You tell me don't lie_  
 _You work at a smile and you go for a ride_ __  
_You had a bad day_  
 _You've seen what you like_ __  
_And how does it feel for one more time_  
 _You had a bad day_ _  
__You had a bad day_

**8:30AM the following day**

Stepping into her office the next morning, Felicity discovered a large white box with a big red bow sitting on top of her desk. She eyed it suspiciously before checking the tag to make sure it had been delivered to the right person. Her name was written in beautiful calligraphy on the card. Tugging it from its place beneath the bow, she tore open the envelope.

_Felicity-_

_Thank you for being so understanding. This is just a small token of my gratitude. I know it's not the same one, but I still thought you'd like it._

_O. Q._

'Oh, god, what has he done?' she thought before pulling the bow loose and opening the box. Inside was the same red Monique Lhuillier dress Taylor Swift wore to the 2010 CMA's. Holding it up against her body, she marveled at how beautiful the dress looked without having even tried it on.

A dress like that wasn't cheap. It was well beyond her means, but this was Oliver, the man with an endless cash supply. As much as Felicity wanted to march right up to him and give it back, the thought of letting go of such a gorgeous dress pained her, especially after having thrown out the one last night. It actually made her cry to place it in the trash can.

Maybe she would just chew him out instead.

"Nice dress. Is it your birthday?" Preston walked in to find her standing there wistfully eyeing the designer gown.

Felicity turned to face him and replied, "Just a gift from a friend."

"It's pretty. I bet you'd look gorgeous in it," he said, sticking his hands in the pocket of his tight navy jeans. He looked somewhat bashful standing there looking for what to say. "About last night..."

"You know what, I think it was for the better," Felicity answered before he could try and ask her out again. "I don't want to get fired, and I know you probably don't either, so we should just stick to being coworkers."

"Oh... Alright..." Preston didn't sound too happy. Then again, if he hadn't stood her up the previous night, this wouldn't have been a problem. It was his loss though. No use in dwelling on the past.

Today was a new day full of opportunities, and Felicity was hell bent on making sure she did everything in her power to make it better than yesterday. If that meant forgetting her little crush on Preston, then so be it. In the long run, it would probably be the wiser option.

Felicity sighed contently as she put the dress back in the box and set it under her desk. She turned to Preston and gave him a simple smile. He took it as his cue to leave, scurrying to his desk looking visibly annoyed.

Yes, today was going to be a good day. Felicity would make sure of that.


End file.
